Kindergarten Loaded Gun: Student Smuggles Weapon to Class in Backpack

A kindergarten student brought a loaded gun to class on Monday morning, prompting a quick confiscation by teachers and a call to the police.

Administrators from Aliquippa Elementary School in Pennsylvania sent a letter home to parents explaining the situation, adding that the police are now investigating the student's home life.

"The weapon was a small .22-caliber revolver. It was loaded," Aliquippa Police Chief Donald Couch told CBS affiliate KDKA. "However, the gun was never in the possession anybody, it was just in the book bag."

School Superintendent David Wytiaz echoed the police chief's comments, saying, "The weapon was removed without any visibility to any student; it never left the backpack."

Wytiaz and the boy's teacher said that the boy who brought the gun told another student that he had it in his backpack, at which time the second student immediately told the teacher.

Asked why he brought the gun, the student said he wanted to protect everyone.

"The student offered a very unique reason for having the gun," said Chief Couch. "That matter is being investigated by not only the school district but the Aliquippa Police Department. We don’t believe there was any ill intentions by the student by any means."

The boy's godmother, Nicole Lutle, told WPXI that the boy found the gun on a bed in his apartment.

"He picked it up because he didn’t want his little brother to get to it," Lutle said. "He knew his little brother wouldn’t go through his book bag, so he put it in his book bag and forgot it was in there."